In-line skates are roller skates with the rollers or wheels in an in-line configuration, that is a single row or line of wheels mounted one behind the other along the toe-to-heel lines of the skates. Conventional roller skates (xe2x80x9croller skatesxe2x80x9d) have two sets of side-by-side wheel pairs, the pairs mounted one behind the other. Both in-line skates and roller skates typically have their wheels mounted for rotation about fixed axes, the wheels rolling simultaneously in the same direction, either forward or backwards.
The in-line configuration of the wheels of in-line skates somewhat resembles the single blade of conventional ice skates. Moreover, in-line skates replicate to a significant degree the feel of ice skates. Unlike ice skates, however, skating on in-line skates does not require real or artificial ice. Therefore the skater is far less restricted as to the times and places available for skating. For these and possibly other reasons in-line skates have grown immensely popular in recent years. They are not only being used for casual recreational purposes, but they are also being used to play the sport of hockey.
For the sport of hockey in-line skates have been widely used for off-ice training. Many people are learning to play traditional ice hockey by starting first on in-line skates. Experienced ice hockey players are improving their skills by off-ice training and practice on in-line skates. In addition, in-line skate hockey has itself become a sport, some people playing only in-line hockey and others playing both in-line and traditional ice hockey. In-line skate hockey, often referred to as roller hockey, has boosted the opportunities of non-professional players to play hockey, and reduced the costs of providing suitable hockey rinks.
In ice skating, the most common and effective manner of stopping abruptly is a stop known as the hockey stop. The skater makes a sharp turn transverse to the direction of his forward motion, turning the skate blades transverse or crossways to the skater""s forward motion. Concomitantly with turning, the skater leans his body away from the forward-motion direction. The blade edges bite into the ice and the forward motion is arrested with a little sideways sliding, while the skater""s balance is maintained.
A hockey stop on in-line skates is generally not possible. A sharp transverse turn on in-line skates typically will result in an instantaneous cessation of skate movement, the skates then acting as a stationary pivot point about which the skater""s body revolves, falling forward. Instead of achieving a sharp stop, the skater experiences a sharp fall because in-line skates will not slide sideways along the skating surface. (An attempt to moderate the immediate cessation of skate movement while trying to execute a hockey stop by turning at a lesser angle to forward motion will only result in circular motion.) The small degree of sideways sliding and the slight giving or shaving of the ice surface experienced in ice skating are absent when using in-line skates on a solid surface.
The ability to stop is important in any type of skating. It is a safety issue for even the most casual recreational skater. Moreover, hockey is a sport that involves abrupt stops and quick turns. Quick and agile movements on skates are among the core skills of this sport. The inability to execute hockey stops on in-line skates is a limitation on the training usefulness of in-line skates for the sport of ice hockey, and detracts from the sport of roller hockey.
The typical braking accessory used on an in-line skate is a rubber bumper mounted on the heel of the skate. This bumper can be dragged along on the skating surface by inclining the skate to a heel-down, toe-up position. The bumper drag decreases forward-motion speed. Stopping with the assistance of such a bumper is far from abrupt and does not resemble the feel or movement of a hockey stop.
In-line skates used for ice-hockey training and/or roller hockey have become standardized to a significant degree. Even in-line skates used for strictly non-sporting recreational use have become rather standardized. These skates routinely have four simple primary wheels in in-line alignment and no other conspicuous skating props. (Specialized in-line skates for speed skating commonly have five primary wheels.) Wheel sizes and the skates are reasonably standardized so that there is a market of commercially-reasonable size for replacement wheels. Skates that depart from the simple norm, or are equipped with conspicuous appendages, or do not use standard replacement wheels that are readily available through mass merchandisers, would meet with serious consumer resistance. Consumer resistance would rise further if an accessory, even an accessory that facilitated hockey stops, were expensive and/or could not readily be fitted to standard in-line skates.
It is desirable to provide a means for readily performing a hockey stop on in-line skates. It is desirable to provide such a means that is neither expensive nor conspicuous. It is desirable to provide such a means with which standard in-line skates can be readily retrofitted. It is desirable to provide such a means that can be used for ice-hockey training and/or roller hockey and/or strictly non-sporting recreational use by skaters of all levels of skill. It is desirable to provide such a means that has a broad use range, and thus a broad consumer market, and therefore will in turn have significant appeal to mass merchandisers and thereby be widely available to consumers. It is also desirable to provide such a means that can be readily positioned or placed in accordance with a skater""s personal preference.
The present invention is an in-line skate having an auxiliary wheel rotatably mounted in a raised position relative the primary wheels at the side of the longitudinal alignment of primary wheels. The present invention is also an auxiliary-wheel assembly having an auxiliary wheel mounted for rotation on an axle journalled onto a mounting member, which assembly can be attached to a conventional in-line skate, whereby a simple retrofitting of that skate is achieved. The present invention also is a method of in-line skating using the in-line skate of the present invention to perform a hockey stop.